Chapter 1002: Chapter 1001: The Youngest Void Origin Realm Martial Emperor in History (Part 1)_1
It was as if a pathway had been opened, and suddenly the space before his eyes expanded. Endless Vigorous Air madly passed through the seabed cavity, bursting forth as a Vigorous Air Vortex through his body.
At this moment, the Vigorous Air Vortex surrounding Shi Xiaole had finally reached four hundred and nine.
Humming sound.
These four hundred and nine Vigorous Air Vortices suddenly began to move rapidly, intersecting with one another, and from the outside, they formed a strange pattern of light.
The formless aura of the Great Way diffused out from within, seemingly allowing one to witness birth, aging, sickness, death, endless evils, a colossal sword piercing the sky, and even a lake born of illusionary visions.
The quality of a Vigorous Air Vortex not only determines the strength and amount of Vigorous Air but also, to a certain extent, influences the display of martial power.
However, most Earthly Realm Martial Emperors in the Void Origin Realm only construct Vigorous Air Vortices as simple channels for the absorption and transfer of Vigorous Air. Since Vigorous Air has properties and the Vigorous Air Vortex does not, making them closely align with martial ways, let alone achieve a mutual fit, is extremely difficult.
Of course, there are always some extraordinary geniuses among geniuses in the world who can achieve this step, but the enhancement to martial power is limited.
Probably no one, like Shi Xiaole, felt as though the Vigorous Air Vortex was an extension of four types of martial ways, a different form of manifestation.
As a result, his martial way and the Vigorous Air Vortex could cooperate perfectly, maximizing the power of both to the limits they could reach.
Whoosh!
An immense amount of spiritual energy from heaven and earth surged into Shi Xiaole’s body, rapidly transforming into Vigorous Air. If before, Shi Xiaole’s Vigorous Air was a torrent, then now, it was an enraged tidal wave, incomparable in both quantity and quality to what it once was.
A feeling of immense power rose up from within Shi Xiaole’s heart, and this feeling continued to deepen.
But, it wasn’t time to be happy yet.
The formation of the Vigorous Air Vortex represented that his power had reached the Void Origin Realm level, but what mattered more was his realm.
Concentrating his spirit and calming his breath, Shi Xiaole emptied himself. He detached from his flesh and traversed through the illusionary realms created by the Witch Queen, roaming between heaven and earth. At times, he became a gust of wind with indeterminate speed, at times a cloud with unpredictable gatherings and dissipations, and sometimes stood as a tree, rooting himself in nature...
"Why separate man from heaven and earth?"
"Humans, when compared to heaven and earth, what difference is there from dust and sand? Born of heaven and earth, they should naturally return to heaven and earth. I am a part of heaven and earth, and heaven and earth are extensions of myself."
"So it is, there never was a so-called unity of heaven, earth, and man, for all three are inherently one. Through cultivation, I am merely seeing a deeper true self."
At this moment, Shi Xiaole’s body seemed infinitely large, capable of holding mountains and rivers, insects, fish, birds, and beasts, everything within his heart.
Clang!
A beam of rainbow light suddenly descended, swallowing up Shi Xiaole.
It is said that anyone who breaks through to the Void Origin Realm must endure a trial by heaven, a narrow escape from death, and only survivors are the victors. Zhang Xiangfeng did not encounter this because the rules of Rainbow Island were incomplete.
And now, the trial for Shi Xiaole had arrived!
Engulfed by the rainbow light, Shi Xiaole’s body cracked and fissured, his tendons and bones shattered, his blood turned to mist and scattered, his newly transformed Vigorous Air due to the breakthrough, utterly useless.
Not only his body but even his spiritual consciousness faced an unprecedented crisis, eroded by the invisible force within the rainbow light, dissolving and disappearing in large swaths.
In just a few breaths, Shi Xiaole’s life had vanished by more than half. But this was just the beginning, unimaginable, how could anyone pass such a difficult barrier?
"A mere illusion, also wants to deceive me."
The corners of his mouth curling slightly, Shi Xiaole placed his hands on his knees, unmoving as a mountain, allowing the rainbow light to encapsulate him. Once his body and spirit were completely shattered, everything returned to normal.
His garment was jade green like new, his black hair flying, with not a single scar in sight.
Shi Xiaole opened his eyes, the boundless aura of illusion turned into two streaks of light, directly tearing apart the rainbow light.
Swish!
A turquoise giant sword pierced down from the sky, emitting Sword Qi that, from ten thousand meters away, tore open the void, plowing a pitch-black rift several dozen meters wide. Terrifying spatial fluctuations brewed within, rapidly approaching right above Shi Xiaole’s head.
Without even a glance, Shi Xiaole drew the Spring Fury Sword from the ground and raised it upward.
Crackle!
A wider rift instantly formed, surging back against the first, the two rifts colliding like two black dragons tearing and battling each other. After a moment, the rift created by Shi Xiaole split the one made by the turquoise giant sword.
It was at that moment, two equally massive Sword Qi forces collided head-on.
Boom!
The sky fractured like a mirror shattered by a huge stone, breaking into thousands of pieces. Rifts crisscrossed everywhere, merging and branching, spreading to the furthest bounds.
Whether it was Shi Xiaole or the turquoise giant sword, both demonstrated the destructive power that only secondary Earthly Realm Martial Emperors could possess. However, it was clear that this was merely a probing attempt.
Indeed, the turquoise giant sword expanded again, its overwhelming Sword Qi rolling down like the heavenly river ending worlds, piercing through storms, aiming to pierce through all things.
"Wind Tribulation!"
With his ink-black hair billowing, streaks of white intermingling at his temples, Shi Xiaole soared forward to meet the challenge. A slash unfurled, and vast spaces were dyed turquoise, as if adding a filter layer to them.
Thump...
Heaven and earth changed color. Mountains crumbled into dust, rivers evaporated under the Sword Qi, and when both Sword Qi dissipated, within tens of thousands of miles, nothing remained.
An average Martial Emperor of the Void Origin Realm could achieve such an effect with a single move, but never so cleanly.
The difference between them was like that between a magnifying glass and a microscope, both bringing destruction, yet the latter delved into realms only discernible through mental power.
Unwilling to be caught by Shi Xiaole, the azure giant sword expanded a second time, suddenly splitting into countless sharp swords that endlessly stabbed at Shi Xiaole.
Shi Xiaole continuously employed the Wind Tribulation Sword Technique, each move carrying the force of mountains collapsing and seas overturning.
However, the Wind Tribulation Sword Technique was fundamentally too basic and failed to leverage the advantages of Vigorous Air and martial arts. Even with unparalleled swordsmanship, Shi Xiaole was still pierced with numerous sword marks and wounds; the blood had barely spilt before being torn apart.
"Heart Thunder Sword!"
"Dance of the Wind God!"
Moving back and forth amidst the sea of swords, new injuries constantly inflicted and blood flowing more profusely, Shi Xiaole’s spirit reached the pinnacle of his life, becoming more resilient as the battle wore on.
Half a 2-hour period passed, Shi Xiaole’s left arm was twisted, his right arm pierced through, with his shoulder, calf, abdomen, and even his neck sustaining varying degrees of injury.
One 2-hour period passed.
Shi Xiaole was nearly a bloodied man, his body left without a single intact spot, his white bones exposed and broken into pieces. The healing effect of the Life and Death Dual Qi ultimately couldn’t keep up with the damage inflicted by the azure giant sword.
One and a half 2-hour periods.
Shi Xiaole’s vitality dwindled to just 30%, yet his eyes remained unyielding, as profound as ice. Heaven never seals off all exits, he believed there must be a chance; all he had to do was resist with all his might until his last ounce of strength was drained.
Two 2-hour periods later.
Shi Xiaole could barely lift his arms; the azure giant sword finally dissipated, and he lay on the ground, swallowing healing potions while frantically cultivating the Life and Death Dual Qi.
This ordeal, though nearly costing him his life, had its obvious benefits.
Foremost was the Wind Sword Way, which had approached the very end of its ten peaks.
It may not have been a breakthrough, but in reality, the weakest Earthly Realm Martial Emperor, whose supreme martial arts reached just the mid-eleventh peak, might never improve for the rest of their lives. If they could, the energy and time required would be unimaginable.
After this episode, Shi Xiaole believed that the Wind Sword Way would soon improve, making it comparable to the late-eleventh peak of the supreme martial arts and significantly enhancing his combat power.
Next, the Illusion Martial Way, under extreme operation, also approached the brink of breakthrough.
The ground beneath was now riddled with holes, as though it had experienced a magnitude ten earthquake, spanning tens of thousands of miles. Shi Xiaole’s clothes were torn, and he gasped heavily.
After two 2-hour periods, his injuries had only recovered by 10%.
But just then, boundless vitality surged from the heavens and earth.
In an instant, amidst the crackling sounds akin to popcorn, tendons regenerated, broken bones realigned, flesh healed, and Shi Xiaole’s entire body glistened, his skin akin to luminescent ivory, radiating like a small sun, utterly dazzling and powerful.
His condition reached its peak, but didn’t stop there, soaring as if each cell swelled to its limit, his heartbeat like thunderous drums, his blood flow like raging rivers, exhaling breaths more ferocious than gales.
Soon, Shi Xiaole’s hair began to whiten, wrinkles creased his face, muscles atrophied, and his vitality quickly declined.
To overdo is as bad as to underdo; when vitality became too vigorous, surpassing the body’s capacity, it signaled the approach of death. Without miraculous methods, this process was irreversible.
Seven-colored radiance corresponded to the Illusion Martial Way.
The azure giant sword corresponded to the Wind Sword Way.
And the current tide of vitality undoubtedly matched the Life and Death Dual Qi.
Within the sea of consciousness, the Taiji Yin-Yang Plate rotated at high speed, absorbing the intense vitality; even the excess energy that threatened to burst Shi Xiaole’s cells was drawn in, transforming into symbols on the surface of the Taiji Yin-Yang Plate.
The aging of Shi Xiaole’s exterior finally slowed down, and the Life and Death Dual Qi took the opportunity to break through to the late five peaks. But this was far from the end.
Late five peaks.
Early six peaks.
Mid six peaks.
Under normal circumstances, a breakthrough in Supreme Martial Arts was infinitely more difficult than that in half-supreme martial arts. Top-tier martial arts couldn’t even compare. Yet strangely, while Shi Xiaole’s Wind Sword Way saw no breakthrough, the Life and Death Dual Qi greatly benefited.
From another perspective, this was precisely what made Supreme Martial Arts the most challenging! Improvement could be immensely slow when relying solely on oneself; however, encountering a great opportunity could make it much easier than half-supreme martial arts.
But the problem was, how often could a martial artist encounter such grand opportunities in their lifetime? Therefore, the Forbidden Martial Emperor must have comprehended the Supreme Martial Arts, but not everyone who comprehends the Supreme Martial Arts can become a Forbidden Martial Emperor.
Early seven peaks.
Mid seven peaks.
Late seven peaks.
...
The Life and Death Dual Qi surged like a tide, engulfing Shi Xiaole, then dissipating at a rate visible to the naked eye.
Eventually, the Taiji Yin-Yang Plate expanded beyond five peaks, its surface brimming with light, exuding the essence of life and death interchanging.
The Life and Death Dual Qi reached the early eight peaks.
